FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — It’s been quite a year for Michael Bruce.
The 9-year-old son of James and Melissa Bruce of Fort Fairfield has earned a berth in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Final, sponsored by the Professional Golfers Association, to be held during the week of The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. in April 2017.
Drive, Chip and Putt is a nationwide youth golf development initiative for boys and girls ages 7-15, designed to inspire a new generation to choose golf as a lifetime pursuit.
The top 80 performers each year earn the opportunity to compete in the National Finals at one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world. The event will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel on the eve of The Masters April 2.
Bruce claimed the overall title in the 7-9 boys’ age division Sept. 25 in the regional competition held at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. He was first place in the chipping and putting categories.
He had taken first place in the state event held at Val Halla Golf and Recreation Center in Cumberland June 4 and followed that up by winning the sub-regional in Haverhill, Mass. July 31.
Bruce, a fourth-grade student at Fort Fairfield Elementary School, was recently recognized by the Fort Fairfield Athletic Boosters Club during an assembly at the high school and was presented numerous gifts.
Bruce said he wants to be a professional golfer when he grows up and realizes when it comes to the sport, hard work pays off. He said he enjoys playing the game because it’s challenging and fun. He also participates in martial arts and is a green belt in karate.
